Mr Jerick – Principal’s Award for Teachers 2024 nominee
There is this famous Filipino proverb that goes ‘ang dila’y parang patalim—kung sumugat ay mariin’ which translates to ‘the tongue is like a knife—if it cuts, it cuts deep’.
On a superficial level, the freedom wall was created to let students speak their truths anonymously. They can draw, write or even colour their thoughts without the fear of judgement. However, freedom always comes with limitations and responsibilities.
When we teach young minds the power each word holds, we get to help create a world where one speaks with intent and integrity, one stands up for what they believe is right and one takes accountability of their choices.
The freedom wall exists as a reminder that words have weight and consequences. If we teach students to carefully choose what they say, we get to make them see that words are not always supposed to be knives that cut— sometimes, words are water that cleanses self-doubt and nourishes self-worth.
